*Officer Resigns, 2nd Punished For *Messages** *By DEBORAH ALBERTO* dalberto@tampatrib.com Published: * Dec 13, 2002* LAKELAND - One Lakeland *police* officer was disciplined and another resigned after allegations they exchanged computer *messages* derogatory to the chief and dispatchers. Former Sgt. Monty Mathis and Officer William Knobloch, both of the traffic division, were caught exchanging *messages* that referred to the *police* chief and several dispatchers as ``clueless'' and to an accident victim with a severe brain injury as ``a turnip,'' *police* officials said Thursday. The *messages* referred to *Police* Chief Cliff Diamond as ``Casper'' and ``The Beave,'' nicknames given him by some of his subordinates, according to department records. Mathis, a 21-year employee, decided not to participate in the internal affairs investigation and resigned/retired Oct. 10 - the day before his scheduled interview with internal affairs. Knobloch will be suspended for two days without pay. One exchange between Knobloch and Mathis portrayed the dispatchers in a negative light, *police* said. Knobloch wrote in one message: ``They do as little as they can to get through the day.'' Mathis responded: ``Anything that requires no spark of intelligence ... dispatching calls interrupts their soaps. ... Stop calling the *police* department. ... We are watching Jerry Springer.'' Knobloch explained to his superiors that on one occasion, he had to repeat a transmission because a dispatcher couldn't hear him over the television that was on at her *terminal*. Knobloch said he was only voicing some frustrations to his supervisor and did not expect the *messages* to be seen by anyone else. The communications came to light when a dispatcher, who was checking to see if she sent a transmission to a certain officer, accidentally clicked on Mathis' name, pulling up *messages* he had sent, officials said. She was alarmed by an *obscene* word that caught her eye and read further. The dispatcher showed the message to a supervisor, which prompted an investigation. When word leaked out about Mathis making inappropriate comments on his mobile computer *terminal*, other dispatchers began checking to see whether there was anything derogatory written about them. The *police* computer *messages* are public record. Other exchanges between the supervisor and his subordinate revealed comments indicating opinions that Diamond ``hasn't done diddly squat'' about low morale at the department. Mathis and Knobloch declined requests for an interview. Lakeland *police* spokesman Jack Gillen said the *police* computers are provided for *police* business, ``not gossip and slander.'' ``This is a *police* department. We're supposed to have a little more integrity than the general public,'' he said. / Reporter Deborah Alberto can be reached at (863) 284-1410./